Underdog Week: Day 2

     O boy it is day two and I'm just getting warmed up.  I don't have as long of an intro, and this means I can focus more on the song.  If your just joining in I'm on a journey through my music.  I've discovered a golden thread connecting a few of my favorite bands.  One thing I didn't mention yesterday is that all of these songs were released within the last year.  This is one of the main reasons I feel this is a significant connection.  The bands that I listen to are seemingly unifying their voices to call out for the little guy.  It is likely that these bands experienced being on the side of the oppressed or have known someone close to them who was.  Now they aren't waiting anymore to make their feelings known.

Tonight's song is brought to us by these guys:

This is the Christian rock band Switchfoot.  They are a band based out of San Diego California.  They have been making music since the mid to late 90's.  I discovered them because of my friend David.  He was in love with their song Meant to Live.  He got the CD, and would constantly be humming it in class. Ever since he had me listen to it I have greatly enjoyed their music and their lyrical style has greatly increased in depth.

The song that I want to highlight is from their newest CD  Vice Verses.  Vice Verses was released back on September 27th. I'm intrigued by the correlation with Amaryllis being released next month on the 27th of March.

Now I could talk a lot about this CD and the great songs in it, but I am here for a specific purpose so I'll remind myself to Carry on my Wayward Son (I had to put a Kansas reference on this blog some how).  Tonight I bring forward for you blog perusing pleasure the most tantalizing treat your ears have ever heard (that might be a slight exaggeration).  My song this evening is Dark Horses.

Yeah

I made my mistakes

I seen my heart cave in

I got my scars

I been to hell and back again

Born for the blue skies

We’ll survive the rain

Born for the sunrise

We’ll survive the pain

[Chorus:]

We’re singing…

Hey, you can’t count us out

We’ve been running up against the crowd

Yeah, we are the dark horses

We’re singing…

Wait! It’s not over now

We’ve been down but we’ve never been out

Yeah, we are the dark horses

We found the way out

The city takes everything it can

But outside the crowds

I can feel my lungs again

Born for the blue skies

We’ll survive the rain

Born for the sunrise

We’ll survive the pain

[Chorus]

We're singing

La la la la la la la

La la la la la la la.

Yeah!

Born for the blue skies

Born for the blue skies

Born for the sunrise

We’ll survive the pain

[Chorus:]

We’re singing…

Hey, you can’t count us out

We’ve been running up against the crowd

Yeah, we are the dark horses

We’re singing…

Wait, don’t care what they say

We know we’ll find a way

Yeah! We are the dark horses

Yeah!

Laa la-la-la-la-laa

Laa la-la-la-la-laa

[Faded Voice:]

Keep running with the dark horses

Hope makes the blood change courses

Keep running with the dark horses

Stand up with the dark horses

Keep running with the dark horses

Hope makes the blood change courses

I hope you weren't put off by the still frame picture on the video. I don't know if you're familiar with the dark horse metaphor or not.  It is rather important for my point so I will briefly explain it as I understand.  The dark horse is the horse in a race that is not expected to win.  They are filled with potential, but no one recognizes it.    This song revolves around the band claiming that being underestimated and put down is not really a bad thing. I feel the tone of this song is more positive than Bully.  "Born for the blue skies we'll survive the pain. Born for the sunrise we'll survive the pain." Life is certainly no bed of roses. There will be people who doubt your abilities, but there is no reason that you should give up before you reach the sunrise. In the chorus they sing the mantra to their haters that they can't be counted out.  I even detect a bit of  you'll regret it if you do.  The most pivotal part of the song is easily the la las.  There is a lot of depth in them, and the difficulty of putting just the right amount of la las is a very delicate art. ;)  All kidding aside that part of the song does intrigue me.  I'm not terribly good at naming the parts of the song.  If I had to guess it this would be a bridge.  There seems to be a smug quality to it.  They almost seem to be taunting their oppressors as if they know they will over come them.   I could go into it more, but I don't want to influence your interpretation more than I already have. Until next time.  Stay classy San Diego.